Growing Abyss: The Shadowbender Chronicles
by Et Gemitus Mortis
Summary: "Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away at our souls in the darkness." There is an uprising spreading in the streets of Republic City; Benders pitted against Nonbenders. Discord is sown amongst the people. The semblance of peace is broken and darkness spreads.


**Author's Note****: And here it is! The prologue for the Legend of Korra series I'll be doing. Those of you who read Darkening Shadows will now be introduced to a fully grown Kotar Shadows and Lin Beifong. I've not fully decided yet whether I will take this book by book or end with the first book, make a small interim story, and then start the next book. I'm not fully sure yet, but here it is now... The Prologue to Growing Abyss.**

**- Jex/ EGM**

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Darkness approaches from outside. I feel no light inside me strong enough to resist it."<strong>_

The nights in Republic City were often harsh if you weren't watching your back and this she knew personally from growing up in the heart of the city. The air stung with the harsh coldness of the black night, her breath fogged up before her. Winter was never this bitter here in Republic City. She didn't put much stock in mysticism but she felt that this was an omen. Something big was coming and she wasn't sure if her city would ever be prepared for it. Jade optics snapped forward at a faint rustling sound. She felt a faint breeze. And it wasn't the wind...

There was something else here and it was considered an enemy until proven otherwise.

She snapped around and her stance was taken. Metal cables launched forward at where she believed the person to be, and briefly, she saw something flitter out of the way. This was hardly the time to have someone think they could take her out when she had other things she could be doing. Another second passed and she swore she saw the figure appear behind her from the corner of her eye. This enemy... Whoever it was; they were quick and light on their feet. It reminded her of someone, but this was different. Her senses were on high alert.

An elbow was swung back. There was impact but she sensed her opponent had taken hold of her arm. They aimed to incapacitate her. She spun counter clockwise, throwing her opponent off and sending them tumbling forward. The darkness of the night was nothing to her as she watched the other pivot, launching forward at her and she came to a familiar sight. A white-washed mask with the worn markings of an Armadillo-Wolf. So, this was who had attacked her... Her body crumpled from the impact and despite the metal that protected her, she felt it; the nonbender seemed unfazed.

Her back connected with a brick wall and she was quick to snap an arm back around, hitting the Armadillo-Wolf on his mask and causing him to stumble back from her. The nonbender's tricks were easy to figure out. He had no abilities. There was nothing to him. So, he had to get up close and personal with those he fought. She did not forget the large blade he carried with him either. He was an extremely cunning criminal and she knew _exactly_ how he ticked. She earthbended the ground beneath him, a large chunk of rock pushing up, but the Armadillo-Wolf seemed to know it was coming and he struck like a snake.

With ease, he seemed to dart forward despite the momentum of the earth trying to send him backwards, and he slid beneath one of her cables - the other was promptly flipped over before the criminal slammed his palms down on her shoulders. A grunt surpassed her lips and she stumbled form the collision. He was quick and cunning. A combination that resulted in a lot of trouble with matching his skill. The Armadillo-Wolf had never been like the other criminals. There were the Masterminds behind the Triads in her City, but the Armadillo-Wolf was a single entity, who was neither a follower nor a leader.

He governed himself and that made him more dangerous then the rest of this city's criminals combined. He was unpredictable and an enigma. Even the Triads wanted to get rid of him, but that daunting task seemed impossible for them too. The Metalbending Police force hadn't encountered such a foe, not since the days Toph Beifong had been in charge, but back then the Armadillo-Wolf had been a double agent, the acting deputy at the time: Kuseron Shadows. This one was nothing more than a dishonoring copycat. Jade optics burned into the mismatched orbs of the Armadillo-Wolf. There was a fire that burned in her at the fact that this man was slighting a good man's memories. She struggled against the nonbender's strength, a knee quickly colliding with his gut.

At least, that's how he was seen in the public eye...

The Armadillo-Wolf ducked beneath another attack with her cables, rolled up into a low stance, and his arms snapped into position. He was coiled like a snake. She launched a barrage of rocks at him and she watched with slow growing irritation as he moved with deftness around the multiple rocks. As if the darkness sped his steps, he was back, an arm snapped forward with his fingers clenched together. A strike at her neck. She drew her arms up, knocking his torrent of attacks away with each arm. Metal collided with flesh repeatedly but the criminal kept coming. She barely had room to attack him back.

In a split decision second, she metalbended part of her suit, blades extended from her wrists, and she struck back through the man's attacks. She grazed the man's mask and he flipped back, his foot collided with her arms. It made extra distance between them as he swirled around onto his toes. She drew up, jade eyes watched the nonbender with a scowl. He always provided a challenge and this one was more frantic than usual. It was clumsier. This surprised her... They were in a deadlock as neither of them moved. Both were waiting for a move to determine their next actions.

Slowly, after a tense minute, the Armadillo-Wolf loosened and a soft, echoing chuckle escaped him. It was muffled by the mask he wore, but his amusement was clear. "You still have work to do, Chief Beifong," Jade eyes narrowed briefly before she, too, relaxed. This was uncharacteristic of him. "I expected a bit more from you." Mostly, their encounters consisted of _friendly_ fighting and them parting ways without a word. This time it seemed to be more. Had he finally gotten lonely with his job again?

Faintly, her lips curled, "You should be quicker," Lin's arms crossed over her chest. "You were severely lacking in defense," This produced a scoff from the man and gloved hands gripped his mask. The mask he wore was a heirloom. An item passed down to him. And as it came off, she was met with a familiar face. A man she knew as she had grown up... "_Kotar_." There was a warm grin on his lips and Kotar raised his multicolored hues at her. It was an odd phenomenon. His eyes were both different shades; one crimson and the other a bright green.

"I could say the same for you, Lin," She simply huffed in response. Kotar was dressed in red and black. His usual attire for when he was out as the criminal: the Armadillo-Wolf. The namesake was from her - **_their_** - father. She was the Chief of Police and with help of her "_shadow_", she protected the citizens of Republic City to her best ability. Kotar was her eyes and ears in the Underworld of Republic City and he was one of the most fearsome criminals known on the streets... "You were a little slow on the uptake, but then again, you tend to rely on your bending the most."

She waved a hand in a slight dismissal. "Well? What do you have for me?" Kotar playfully rolled his eyes, the pleasant grin still plastered on his face as he stepped forward closer to her.

"I have a few Triple Threats tied up for up two blocks over," He replied. Lin gave a slight nod of ascent. Not exactly usefully information for figuring out the locations of their leader, Lightning Bolt Zolt, but she could do with grilling them over before locking them up. "They put up a rough fight, but they never expect _it_..." She knew what he meant by _it_. He posed as a nonbender when he was the Armadillo-Wolf. That was not true of him. Kotar had the legendary ability to bend darkness. He was a Shadowbender, a legend that shouldn't exist, but he did. Just like their father had been. "I wonder how many of your escaped Triad members go back to tell them what I can do but get rebutted for their madness of their ideas..._**?**_"

She shook her head slightly. Her brother always had some idea in his head. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" The Shadowbender cocked his head to the side a bit, his grin growing in response to her question. She'd take that as a _yes_. There was more to him than anyone would ever know, but she knew her brother well enough to know he had someone to go see before he retired for the night and absconded from all life for a while.

"Course I do, Sis," He stepped forward again towards her and she gave him an impatient look in response as he put his mask back on. "You have a good night, Chief..."

And Lin watched as the shadows melded around him. The concept of Shadow travel seemed impossible to all who heard of it. She had seen it too many times to not believe it. She was left staring at empty air and receding darkness where her brother had stood. She shook her head. _Another time._ There were more important things to attend to... Like the group of Triple Threats that the _Armadillo-Wolf_ had defeated and tied up. Once again as the quiet formed, she felt the small sense of dread building in the pit of her stomach. A small ball of ice had formed there and it wouldn't melt until she knew what this feeling was... She had to know what was coming.

There were likely candidates to the question, but only time would tell if her suspicions were confirmed.


End file.
